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High Cholesterol
I am 24 year old male I weight about 190 with high cholesterol. I was on meds a few years ago Lopid but i was not following a diet and it did not seem to work. 2 months ago i had a cholesterol check and these are my results. TC=225 TRI=424 HDL=32 and i do not know the LDL because my Tri's were high. My cardio told me I need to cut out fast food and exerise more and change my diet I also take omega 3 now. So I have done all that I no longer eat fast food which is awsome but I have cheated slightly here and there. A week ago my primary physican decided to check my cholesterol and these where my results. TC=253 TRI=603 HDL=35. This doctor wanted me to get on crestor 10mg a day and see him in 6 weeks for more blood. I decided not to take the meds but exerise even harder. My question is.. is it possible that the lab results are not accurate? I dont understand how before on the first results i was eating fast food like crazy and when i cut it out my test is higher... Also i had a stress test done and it came back fine. How long does it take for cholesterol to clog artieries?
The most recent study I know of about risk factors is the INTERHEART study. The authors found that 9 factors that can be control account for 90% of heart attacks. The study included 30,000 people from 52 countries. Since we are not suppose to post links, you will have to google.
The risk factors are probabilities about populations. They cannot tell who will actually get the problems. Let's say you do do the calculations and end up in the high risk category, say 25%. What does this mean? One way to look at it is to say that out of 100 people with these risk factors, 25% should develop heart problems while 75 should not. There are people who smoke, have bad cholesterol, never exercise, etc yet who will skate through life without heart problems. You shouldn't model yourself after those people because they were lucky. They are walking time bombs.
To reduce your chances of developing heart disease, you shouldn't smoke, watch your diet, exercise, etc. This mean your chances are lower to develop heart disease but there is still a small chance to develop it. There are no guarantees.
Another way of looking at it is to conside lung cancer and cigarette smoking. Only 10% of all cigareete smokers will develop lung cancer. The best way to reduce your chances of developing lung cancer is to not smoke or to quit smoking You can still develop lung cancer if you never smoke. It is much rarer but it happens. (If I remember corectly, the wife of the Chris Reeves, the actor, recently die from lung cancer even though she never smoked.)
The risk factors are probabilities about populations. They cannot tell who will actually get the problems. Let's say you do do the calculations and end up in the high risk category, say 25%. What does this mean? One way to look at it is to say that out of 100 people with these risk factors, 25% should develop heart problems while 75 should not. There are people who smoke, have bad cholesterol, never exercise, etc yet who will skate through life without heart problems. You shouldn't model yourself after those people because they were lucky. They are walking time bombs.
To reduce your chances of developing heart disease, you shouldn't smoke, watch your diet, exercise, etc. This mean your chances are lower to develop heart disease but there is still a small chance to develop it. There are no guarantees.
Another way of looking at it is to conside lung cancer and cigarette smoking. Only 10% of all cigareete smokers will develop lung cancer. The best way to reduce your chances of developing lung cancer is to not smoke or to quit smoking You can still develop lung cancer if you never smoke. It is much rarer but it happens. (If I remember corectly, the wife of the Chris Reeves, the actor, recently die from lung cancer even though she never smoked.)
I forgot to mention that my grandma had BP over 200 syst. for 30 yrs, My uncle, her son, too had BP around 200 syst. and could not get it down with meds. He never had a heart attack, heart problems or a stroke and died at age 78 from cancer.
My mom side of the family had medical problems but lived long. My great grandma (moms side) died in her sleep 87 my grandmother is still around also she is 70 i think. My dads side of the family my grandfather had a bad valve or something he was born with. And my grandmother had some muscle disease. I seem to be the only one in the family with high cholesterol at a young age. Guess it does not matter. I am gonna take meds and eat smart and if anything should happen it happens. Cant control everything in life.
All I can say that my mother eat healthy, was not overweighed, never drank or smoked and died of stomach cancer at age 46.
My grandmother, her mother, never had a BP lower than 200 syst. she was not afraid of doctors or having her BP taken or anything like that. Back then they didn't have BP meds like they do now, the doctor, an M.D. not a homeopathic doctor gave her "Valerian Root" for her BP which of course didn't help. BP meds were not prescribed back then. She died in her sleep at age 83. Never had a heart attack or stroke. Had no heart problems, was fit as a fiddle, energy and everything. Don't know what her cholesterol was because they didn't check it back then.
My grandmother, her mother, never had a BP lower than 200 syst. she was not afraid of doctors or having her BP taken or anything like that. Back then they didn't have BP meds like they do now, the doctor, an M.D. not a homeopathic doctor gave her "Valerian Root" for her BP which of course didn't help. BP meds were not prescribed back then. She died in her sleep at age 83. Never had a heart attack or stroke. Had no heart problems, was fit as a fiddle, energy and everything. Don't know what her cholesterol was because they didn't check it back then.
Ok, not friends. Let's say aquaintances. People that you know (of). Can you really say that the ones with heart problems are the ones with all the "risk factors"? I can't. I'd have to go with about 50/50, amongst the people I know. All the risk factors just don't seem to hold water............
I just ordered the book. Thanks!
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